Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the month “April, 2017”

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” John 1:43-49 (NIV 1984)

You’ll note from the above passage Nathanael’s response when Phillip says, “We have found the one..” Nathanael’s prejudice is verbalized in his reply, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” In other words, those Nazarenes are not worth much in my opinion – especially considering that you are asking me, Phillip, to believe that the Messiah is from Nazareth!

Prejudice is a prejudgment of a person or group, usually based upon stereotypes. It is a strong bias or an opinion formed before encountering the facts. If ones prejudice manifests itself in actions it becomes discrimination.

Nathanael expresses his prejudice against the Nazarenes and is then confronted by a choice. Phillip simply says to him, “Come and see.” Fortunately, Nathanael does not allow his prejudice to overcome him. He’s willing to investigate this one whom Phillip is so excited about.

When meeting Jesus face to face, Nathanael is told by Jesus that He saw him under the fig tree when Phillip invited him. Immediately Nathanael’s prejudice is changed as he responds, ” Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

All of us have our own prejudices, some being more obvious than others. If these prejudices are negative or critical towards others what hope is there for lasting change? For Kingdom citizens we have the hope of a personal encounter with Jesus.

Just as Nathanael had his prejudice removed when he personally met Jesus, we too can have our own prejudices removed and permanently transformed. There is hope for those of the Kingdom and that hope is found in meeting the Messiah. He will reveal to us our true selves and with that will come the power, through the Holy Spirit, to put off our old self and put on the new.

Perhaps it may prove helpful to ask the Lord to show you any prejudices that you may be harboring. And once revealed, ask Him to change you-removing the old and putting on the new Christlike one that He desires for you to be.

Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. (Acts 15:1–2)

We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. (Acts 15:24)

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. (Acts 15:37–40)

Disputes, disagreements, and debates – all normal for Kingdom leaders. Nothing new under the sun.

In the first incident we have Paul and Barnabas entering into a debate on the purity of the gospel – a doctrinal issue. This dispute could not be settled locally, thus a meeting was set to determine the solution to the problem. Yes, even in the early Church meetings were common.

Arguments were presented and discussed and a final decision reached. This decision was placed into writing and hand-delivered to the offended parties with some explanation of background and future expectations articulated. A process to determine a solution to the problem was well executed.

The second disagreement was over a personnel decision – John Mark – and involved Paul and Barnabas. This was resolved locally with a decision to go their separate ways. Who was right or were they both wrong? Perhaps it depends on one’s perspective.

Barnabas saw the potential in John Mark (his nephew) and was willing to give him another opportunity, not holding his past failure against him. Paul, perhaps looking at this decision from a task orientation, did not want to jeopardize the mission by having a team member who had not proven himself faithful previously.

Perhaps they were both right. Barnabas’ investment in John Mark proves well worth the time as Paul admits later in 2 Timothy 4:11. Paul’s second missionary tour also proved profitable as he took Silas with him and opened Europe to the gospel.

Not all disagreements can end well. But God’s purposes are not frustrated by these challenges. Do your best to live at peace with all men (Romans 12:18) and trust Him for the outcomes.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8 NIV 1984

After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ … “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
Acts 13:22, 36 NIV 1984

David wrote Psalm 138 and testified that the Lord would fulfill His purpose for him. By faith, David testified that the Lord would do for him what He had promised. He was certain of it.

One thousand years later Paul testifies about David’s life in a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch on his first missionary journey. He says that God found David to be a man after God’s own heart who would do whatever God asked of him. And David did just that. And when that purpose for his generation was completed, David fell asleep – he died.

Our God is a missional God who works. Jesus reminds us that the Father is always at work and that He too is working (see John 5:17). Because we are created in His image, we too are to have a missional mindset.

What is our purpose for which the Lord has made us? What is it that He wants to accomplish in and through us? Find that purpose and you will find satisfaction and peace.

Yes, there is the overarching purpose of knowing Him and bringing glory to Him (see John 17:3; Isaiah 43:7). But there is also a personal purpose (mission, task) for which the Lord created you and redeemed you, asking you to accomplish this during your generation.

Ask Him to show you what that destiny is and then give yourself to it with your whole heart. You were made for it!

Your purpose…. your destiny …. your task… your mission – do you know it and are you following Him into its fulfillment?

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace…. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. Acts 7:9-10, 22 NIV 1984

Note the contrast between the wisdom of Joseph and the wisdom of Moses (up to the age of 40).

Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But having been shown his future destiny in two dreams as a 17-year-old young man, God’s plan for him was not frustrated. In fact, the favor of the Lord was with Joseph, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances. And it was God who gave Joseph wisdom (godly wisdom) that opened opportunities for him in Potiphar’s household, in prison, and finally with Pharaoh.

In contrast, Moses was educated in the best system of the day – the Egyptian education system – having grown up in Pharaoh’s household as an adopted son. The result was that he was “powerful in speech and action” – a gifted, natural leader. But all of his natural ability and education did not qualify him to lead God’s people by the age of 40. The world’s wisdom was not enough in God’s eyes to qualify Moses to lead. It would be 40 more years of preparation before the Lord would appear to him in the burning bush when he was finally ready, with God’s anointing, to lead.

Wisdom is easily understood as necessary for leadership – especially for Kingdom leaders who are constantly balancing seeking to please God and meeting the demands of the world. But the wisdom needed for Kingdom leaders must come from God Himself. Yes, a certain wisdom can be gained by learner’s hearts and through increased experience. But, it is the wisdom that comes from the Lord that will bring the outcomes desired for Kingdom leaders.

This God-given wisdom can be asked for (see James 1:5) and the wonderful promise is that it will be given to all who ask.